Dear Girlguiding
Answering your questions on planning trips, away days and residentials
Illustrations by Hikimi/agencyrush.com
In this feature, exclusive to guiding magazine, the girl experience team answer some of your most frequently asked questions.
This issue, we’ve teamed up with our volunteer outdoor adventure specialists to talk all things going away.
Going away can be one of the most memorable experiences girls have through guiding. But whether you’re planning a day trip away or organising a residential for your unit, there are plenty of things to think about before the fun can begin.
Our fantastic outdoor adventure specialists Ruth, Amy, Georgina and Anne-Marie are here to help you plan and run amazing trips away. They’re a team of volunteers who work with our Girl Experience team on all things adventure.
Have you got another question you’d like to ask the Girl Experience team? It doesn’t have to be about going away – whether you need programme problem-solving or advice on running your unit, the team want to hear from you. Just fill in the form at the bottom of this page and keep an eye out in future issues to see if your question has been answered.
We want to hear from you
Get in touch with your own questions via the form at the bottom of this page and we'll do our best to answer them in future issues of guiding magazine.
Dear Girlguiding...
Q. I want to run a specific activity, where can I find the information? Who can support me?
Anne-Marie, sports specialist: You can find information on all activities in the Adventure for girls finder on the website. This is updated regularly so do keep checking to make sure your knowledge is up to date. Here you’ll find all the information on instructor qualifications, health and safety requirements, age restrictions, and anything else you need to help you run the activity. Speak to your local outdoor activity adviser for more support -– you can ask your commissioner to put you in touch if you’re not sure who that is. You can get in touch with our team as well if you need more specific guidance.
Q. Help! I want to run a themed trip away, but I’m not sure where to start.
Georgina, deputy walking lead: It’s great you want to run a themed trip away. The best and easiest way to decide on a theme can be to let your girls choose. Is there a particular film, book or TV show they like? Once you’ve agreed on a theme, my advice would be to think about all the senses.
Let’s say your theme was Jumanji (which I did with my Brownies a few years back).
- Sight: what does your residential look like? Will you have decorations? Special lighting? A dress code? Some ideas could be jungle decorations, animal cardboard cut-outs, and explorer hats.
- Sound: what will it sound like? Will there be music? Funny voices? Maybe you’ll bring it to life by waking up the girls with bongos in the morning, or playing atmospheric jungle sounds at meals.
- Taste: what will the food be? Will you have a themed menu or just special treats? You might look at trying some exotic fruit, animal shaped biscuits, or fruity mocktails.
- Touch: how can you make the theme hands on? Indoors or outdoors? You could do activities like a trip to the zoo, an animal handling session, outdoor crafts, or camping.
- Smell: okay perhaps not this one… but you get the idea!
Amy, residential specialist: I’d also add that a theme isn’t necessary to have a great time! Some of my best residentials have been a 'simple' Brownie holiday in a holiday house somewhere, with a field to run in and some fun activities to do. I often see leaders share photos of gorgeous, themed weekends on social media, with decorated buildings and immense attention to detail. And if you’re keen to try a theme, that’s great. But it’s important to remember that your trip/residential isn’t any 'lesser' if you don’t.
Q. Can men volunteer to run activities?
Ruth, walking lead: Yes, provided they have the right skills, experience and qualification required for the activity. Make sure you check the Adventure for girls finder when planning any adventurous activities to confirm what’s needed.
Everyone taking part in guiding activities has to follow our safeguarding policy. You also need to make sure that instructors, helpers and parents have the right checks to make activities safe. So check out and follow the information about Working with instructors and helpers.
Q. What is an approved campsite or residential site?
Amy, residential specialist: All campsites and venues, whether it’s a property owned by Girlguiding, your local church hall, or somewhere more unusual like a trampoline park, need to be checked before a residential to make sure they’re safe and appropriate.
This will involve checking things like safe water supply, adherence to fire regulations, as well as identifying things about the location that leaders need to be aware of.
Venues can be approved by your local outdoor activity adviser, and your local commissioner will be able to tell you about approved venues in your area. Check our guidance on going on residentials for more information.
Q. Can I use instructors at PGL or Scout campsites?
Georgina, deputy walking lead: That really depends on the activity and the instructor! Many instructors at activity centres, including PGL and Scout campsites, have the right qualifications to run activities for Girlguiding members.
The qualification they need depends on the activity and circumstances, so always make sure you check the Adventure for girls finder when planning any adventurous activities.
It’s the responsibility of the Girlguiding volunteer planning the activity to check that whoever is leading it has the right qualification, not the venue providing the activity - and they may not always know! Don’t forget that joint activities with members of the Scouts have different rules too. You can only use an instructor with a Scout activity permit if you’re doing the activity jointly with a Scout group, unless they also have the required qualifications for Girlguiding.
We love hearing about all of the adventures you get up to with your unit. Here's Bex, our outdoor team lead, to sum up:
I’d say running adventures can sometimes seem incredibly daunting, even for the most experienced leader. Particularly after a 2-year break due to the pandemic. But it can also be one of the most rewarding and exciting experiences you have in guiding! The team is here to support you with all the information you need through the Adventure for girls pages and our inbox adventure@girlguiding.org.uk.
Sadly, we can’t answer all the questions you might have in this article. But we do respond to every enquiry we get. We love to hear about all the exciting adventures you have as well as the challenges. They help us learn and grow, developing our understanding so that we can adapt the webpages and make sure policy continues to work for everyone.
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